Oklahoma City Council to consider MAPS 4 package Tuesday, special election would be Dec. 10

The proposed MAPS 4 program includes all 16 of the projects that received a scheduled presentation during this summer’s special meetings. It would raise a projected $978 million over eight years, debt-free, funded by a temporary penny sales tax. It requires approval from Oklahoma City voters.

The proposed MAPS 4 package is focused on neighborhood and human needs, as well as quality of life and job-creating initiatives. More than 70 percent of the funding is dedicated to neighborhood and human needs.

The proposed MAPS 4 program includes 16 projects:

Parks

Youth Centers

Senior Wellness Centers

Mental Health and Addiction

Family Justice Center operated by Palomar

Transit

Sidewalks, bike lanes, trails and streetlights

Homelessness

Chesapeake Energy Arena and related facilities

Animal Shelter

Fairgrounds Coliseum

Diversion Hub

Innovation District

Freedom Center and Clara Luper Civil Rights Center

Beautification

Multipurpose Stadium

Find more details, including Tuesday’s agenda items and more information about the projects, at okc.gov/maps4.

Budget numbers and other details in presentations and videos from this summer are different than those proposed in the MAPS 4 package to be considered Tuesday. If voters approve the MAPS 4 program, each project will be refined in the coming years as the process unfolds, much like the previous MAPS programs.

More about MAPS 4

The temporary tax included in the Better Streets, Safer City program expires March 31. The proposed MAPS 4 temporary penny sales tax would take effect April 1 and keep the sales tax rate the same.

Including state sales tax, the overall sales tax rate in most of Oklahoma City is 8.625 percent. It’s 8.975 percent in Canadian County and 8.875 percent in Cleveland County because of county sales taxes.

Like previous MAPS programs, MAPS 4 will be subject to voter approval and have oversight from the City Council and a volunteer advisory board.

The Council would have final authority on all projects, but delegate primary oversight to the advisory board. The Mayor and Council appoint Oklahoma City residents to serve on the board and its subcommittees.

MAPS programs use cash to fund debt-free, pay-as-you-go project lists. The first year or so of all MAPS programs involves long-term planning and early phases of project design while cash accumulates from the sales tax.

The volunteer advisory board and the Council work together on an implementation plan and timeline for the project list. By the time the sales tax expires, the money is accumulating interest and projects are well under way with planning in the final stages.

As an example, the MAPS 3 sales tax was collected from April 2010 to December 2017. MAPS 3 remains on budget, and the final project – the lower 30 acres of Scissortail Park – is scheduled to begin construction next year and open in 2022.

The MAPS 4 public input process began last fall when the Mayor and Council invited residents to share ideas for potential MAPS 4. Mayor Holt shared some of the ideas received as of early this year in his annual State of the City address.

In June, the Council called a series of special public meetings in July and August to hear presentations on some of the ideas. The Council is now considering the project list and the potential call for an election.

State law requires proof of identity to vote. Acceptable forms of ID are a voter ID card, driver’s license or another form of ID issued by the federal government, state government or federally recognized tribal government. Voters may also cast a provisional ballot by proving their identity with a signed, sworn affidavit, which is available at the polling station.